Doug Biggert

Doug Biggert
June 14, 2023
Sacramento, California - Doug Biggert passed away June 14 2023. He was 82. His parents were Hamilton and Doris Biggert, he was born in Highland Park, Illinois. Doug was a good big brother, writing his sister many letters during college about books to read, what to right in papers. His sister appreciated his interest and knowledge. The family travelled the country in the summer visiting New York, Cape Cod, the New Jersey shore, making Doug a great traveler and later taking many road trips across the country with friends.
Doug graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in History. He attended graduate school at Indianna University.
Through out Doug's life he was a people person, asking many questions of those he met, listened well and enjoyed lively exchanges with new friends over a beer or glass of wine. He was intelligent, did not own a television, instead listened to music or read. Doug had a vast knowledge or jazz history, roots, performers and many special artists. He started hosting a jazz show at KVMR in Grass Valley. Doug's early travels took him to Thailand with a Thai friend. Doug collaborated with the friend to help restore some ancient Buddhist temples. Later Doug took the Trans-Siberian express across Russia with two friends experiencing 1986 Russia and the aftermath of the Chernobyl meltdown.
Doug gravitated to jobs with the public, his early days in southern California selling sandals at Socrates Sandal at the beach. The sandal shop wall was put into the Newport Beach Museum by its curator, Tom Garver. Doug had taken a picture of everyone who bought a pair of sandals and put them on the wall of the shop. Thus began a lifelong friendship with Tom, and Doug's first foray into an art show and photography. Doug and Tom went to work on one of Christos early works in the US; the Valley Curtain in 1972 to be hung across the mountains of Colorado state highway 325. It stood for 28 hours before the wind brought it down After some time in Southern Ca, Doug moved north to San Francisco where he painted houses for a time In SF Doug continued taking pictures and enjoyed all the museums. He also met another lifelong friend Judy D. Doug moved to Sacramento for a new job in the 70's and not long after that started working at Tower Books and Records. He suggested to Russ Solomon that the store sell more magazines and newspapers. Russ said go ahead and finally there was another place to buy a New York Times. Doug's work at Tower took him all over the world setting up the books and magazines. He traveled for Tower to Japan, London, Hong Kong, Thailand, New York, and other cities.
Doug was a minimalist, spending little on himself while being generous to his friends and others. He enjoyed random acts of kindness, gloves to the homeless, umbrellas for rain, and a hand out for anyone who needed it. He befriended a homeless man whom he welcomed with a cup of coffee, a chair, and a newspaper every day for several years. Doug wasn't always an easy friend; he could be the "Soup Nazi" (Seinfeld)but he was always honest. When Doug was working at Newsbeat across from the Capital a French walked in. Doug looked at his shoes and said nice shoes and took a picture of the shoes and invited Xavier and friend home to his house, another long-term friendship began. Xavier saw the boxes of hitch hiker photos and asked if Doug would let him take them back to France to see if he could get them published. Doug had over 450 Hitch hiker photos taken mainly in Ca. Doug said yes and a year later there was a Hitch Hiker book, a show in Brussels, Paris, Sacramento, New York, Ohio and Sacramento. The photos were all taken in Doug's old VW bug with many bumper stickers. Doug travelled to France for Xavier's wedding; Xavier called him his spiritual father.
Doug loved taking pictures and hearing peoples stories. Doug was a thoughtful lasting friend to many in Sacramento, Redwood Valley, San Francisco, and Southern California. One artist friend has sent him a postcard once a month for years, which added to Doug's extensive postcard collection. Doug's friends had staying power.
His passing leaves a lively precious hole of memories in the hearts of the friends and family that knew and loved him. Thank you to all who visited, called and wrote to him over these past three years. He loved it. Doug's moto, "What we give away always outlasts what we keep." William Danforth
Doug is survived by his sister Elizabeth, and his nephew Eliot. Many thanks to the staff at Revere Court.
As per Doug's wishes his ashes will be sprinkled in San Francisco Bay by the Nautilus Society Boat on August 3rd. Donations in Doug's name can be made to Sacramento Planned Parenthood, the ACLU or Loaves and Fishes. The Verge Gallery in Sacramento will be holding a celebration of Doug's life on August 6th at 2.